Coolermaster ATCS840 Case Review

Introduction:

When you look at someone's computer for the first time, the first thing you notice is the case. Whether it looks bad or awesome, it's easy to have a quick judgement on the hardware that's probably resting inside. High end cases usually house high end components and the same is true of the opposite. Of course, looking good is always a nice thing, but it should also do a fine job at being a case. Important factors often looked for when shopping for one include, but not limited to, are size and air flow since all this precious hardware needs some of its own fresh air to cool down after a hard gaming session. Materials used by the manufacturer also often play an important role since nobody wants a flimsy piece of plastic falling apart within weeks. Finally, price is, of course, a vital sale argument, although most people are willing to pay the proper amount for their case. With so many different models available on the market, there is most likely one out there to fit everyone's want and needs.

Coolermaster specializes in designing and manufacturing thermal solutions for consumer applications like fans, heatsinks, cases and various other accessories. The company is dedicated to provide us with fine products so every design goes through a strict series of testing before it leaves the factory and is brought to retail market. Just a few weeks ago, we reviewed the HAF 932, which was Coolermaster's latest case before now. Today, I am looking at its newest piece of engineering - the ATCS 840. This one is also a full tower, but with a much classier look.

Closer look:

The first thing I noticed when I took the box inside is how big it is, the box is about two feet high and another two feet and a few inches long. The box is pretty sturdy and therefore arrived in good shape. As you can see from the pictures below, the box isn't flashy or anything, just plain cardboard. On the main side, there's a rough picture of what it looks like with what looks like circus themed art around. The back side gets a little interesting and technical, showcasing all the removable parts, which seems like pretty much everything.

On the left side is quick rundown of the features while the opposite end of the box gets all of the specifications in detail. Both side also sport a handle, which highly facilitates carrying this huge box around, which weighs in at a hefty 35 pounds.

With the box cracked open, I was welcomed by the top of the case housing two huge fans. It is tightly packaged and nothing worrying could be heard moving when shaking the box, but perhaps I was expecting a little more Styrofoam in there in order to better protect it from shipping damage, since you just never know what can happen during shipping. At least it arrived in good shape and that's all that really counts.

In the box itself, there is the ACTS manual floating around, while other case accessories are all hiding within the enclosure itself. The manual is very well done. Everything, from installing the power supply, drives and the motherboard to taking the whole thing apart is well detailed with plenty of pictures. Even though the pictures are in black and white, they are printed in higher than average quality so they are easy to read and understand. Fast forward into the case, a few, more precisely two, more boxes are found. One of them contains an air duct to attach to the back of the case. The other one contains a myriad of screws, mounting hardware and even a bunch of tie wraps. Bottom mount power supply implies you will most likely need a longer ATX12V connector, so they bundled an extension. The metal plate is used to support the back of the power supply for users wanting to install it on top. Basically, it's more than enough to successfully get going.